Abstract
Abstract. The history of the long-term variations in the astronomical elements used in paleoclimate research shows that, contrary to what might be thought, Milutin Milankovitch is not the father of the astronomical theory but he is definitely the father of paleoclimate modeling. He did not calculate these long-term variations himself but used them extensively for calculating the “secular march” of incoming solar radiation. He advanced our understanding of Quaternary climate variations by two important and original contributions fully described in his Canon of insolation. These are the definition and use of caloric seasons and the concept of the “mathematical climate”. How his mathematical model allowed him to give the caloric summer and winter insolation a climatological meaning is illustrated.
Highlights
Paleoclimatology is primarily a reconstruction of past climatic variations on the basis of proxy records
Milankovitch has contributed significantly to this second objective by using the astronomical parameters to compute the long-term variations in his caloric insolation which he used in a climate model to reconstruct the past climates
The two remarkable books of Milutin Milankovitch, his 1920 Théorie mathématique written in French and his 1941 Kanon der Erdbestrahlung written in German and translated into English in 1969, have largely contributed to his reputation
Summary
Paleoclimatology is primarily a reconstruction of past climatic variations on the basis of proxy records. Milankovitch has contributed significantly to this second objective by using the astronomical parameters to compute the long-term variations in his caloric insolation which he used in a climate model ( very simple) to reconstruct the past climates. This paper intends to underline the fundamental and original contributions of Milankovitch to the understanding of the long-term climatic variations over the last 1 million years. French book is a good opportunity to stress what his main contributions were and to “rendre à César ce qui appartient à César (give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar)” (Marc, XII, 13-17; Matthieu, XXI, 21; Luc, XX, 25). It is important to stress here that Milankovitch was always very careful through all his publications, referring properly to the publications of others when he was using their results
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